Get Even is made up of a plethora of different gameplay aspects, though none of them are masterfully crafted in a way that helps define the game. You’ve got your exploration, your puzzle solving, your sneaky stealth moments, and even moments of all out action in hectic gunfights, though none of these things are done to the extent that you’d really label Get Even a particular genre. It’s not a flaw though; as I’ve said, Get Even is a ‘jack of all trades, master of none’, yet it all works together to make for an entertainingly unique experience. You’re not going to be blown away by what Get Even offers and it often lacks the polish that a triple-A title holds, but it does more than enough to justify a playthrough. If you fancy playing something a little different to the norm that’ll hook you in with its engaging story and entertaining gameplay, it’s certainly worth giving Get Even a try.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series – Episode Two ‘Under Pressure’ doesn’t feel as impactful as the first episode from both an action and storyline perspective, but it does enough to keep players entertained throughout it’s roughly hour and a half run-time. Seeing this deeper look into Rocket Racoon’s past was quite enlightening and I’m intrigued to see how it affects the story down the line – even if it did minimal to progress it right now. I’d probably say I preferred the Episode One over Under Pressure, though only just. The lack of new locations to see and actual exploration was pretty obvious, whilst some of the flaws remained the same here too. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy playing through it though and I’m still eagerly excited to see what comes next in the series.
I have to be honest, I was a little surprised at just how good Nex Machina is. I felt like I’d seen everything twin-stick shooters had to offer, and whilst the game doesn’t really invigorate the genre nor does it do anything you wouldn’t have seen before, it just feels so damn good to play. I’ve spent hours with it already and find myself constantly coming back for more. If you’re a fan of twin-stick shooters you really need to give Nex Machina a purchase. If you’re a fan of classic arcade experiences that push your skills to the limit you need to give it a purchase. Hell, if you’re a fan of gaming, just buy Nex Machina – you’re not going to regret it.
Smugglecraft mixes up old-school racing with questing nicely, but the lack of variety in the gameplay and the sense of familiarity you’ll quickly feel means it won’t take too long before you start getting bored. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad game by any stretch of the imagination – it just doesn’t really do enough to hook you in. Whilst it certainly has moments where it really shines, it also has moments where you’ll be left thinking “I’ve done this before”. With a bit more polish and variety it could’ve been something special, but as it stands it’s a little hard to recommend Smugglecraft over the better titles that are available right now.
Whilst The Town of Light remains an atmospheric experience from start to end thanks to its fantastic yet harrowing location, the narrative elements don’t quite match up in quality. Renée’s tale has a lot of potential to offer an emotional trip through the treatment of mental patients back in the 1940s, but instead feels slightly fragmented and convoluted. Don’t get me wrong, it has its moments where it shines and you’ll genuinely feel absorbed by what’s going on, but then it’ll quickly move to another scene that’ll leave you a little baffled. I wouldn’t say The Town of Light is a bad game by any means, but I was left a little underwhelmed by it. There’s so much potential here thanks to the genuinely disturbing subject matter, but instead The Town of Light feels like just another average ‘walking simulator’ to add to the ever growing selection.
Victor Vran: Overkill Edition treats gamers to a dungeon crawling experience that doesn’t really do much to evolve upon the traditional formula, but offers plenty of enjoyment with its hacking, slashing, and loot collecting action. It certainly keeps everything simple and can suffer from repetition over time, but it doesn’t stop the game being fun. The challenges will keep you tested even after you’ve finished the game, the extra expansions give you some more meaty adventures to play through once you’re through with the base game, whilst the fact you can do it all in multiplayer with friends will ensure you’re kept coming back for more. All in all, Victor Vran: Overkill Edition makes for a nice little dungeon-crawling package for console gamers to play through. The simplistic nature of the game won’t blow you away, but it will offer plenty of hours of demon slaying fun.
Tekken 7 shows why Tekken is one of the most beloved franchises around, with its fast-paced yet calculated combat, impressive visuals, strong cast of customisable characters, and zany nature coming together to offer one of this generation’s finest fighting games. It offers something a little different to the popular 2D-plane fighters that are in abundance right now, with a fun focus on utilising the space around you to unleash massive combos on your opponent. It doesn’t only look great in-game, but is a hell of a lot of fun to pull off. It isn’t quite perfect thanks to the slightly lacking story mode not really offering enough from a gameplay perspective, but it doesn’t stop Tekken 7 being a must own title for fighting fans. The King of the Iron Fist Tournament is back, and it’s better than ever…
Whilst Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada doesn’t really do enough to completely reinvigorate the series, the focus on providing a more story-driven experience along with the introduction of the hub town and smaller side-missions is certainly a step in the right direction. Musou titles are known for being pretty repetitive, but the implementation of these RPG style ideas ensured I had more of a personal investment in the game and kept me hooked in for longer. I didn’t see Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada as something I’d play for a bit of mindless fun, but instead as game that I actually wanted to see through to completion. Whilst I’m sure some of the changes won’t be for everyone, it made Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada a much more unique experience. Not only has it proven that Koei Tecmo have got plenty of neat ideas as far as innovating the musou genre goes, but it’s got me excited to see what they do with the ‘Warriors’ series next.
After loving ‘Injustice: Gods Among Us’ so much, I’d been eagerly anticipating Injustice 2. There was just this little part of me that was worried that it wouldn’t live up to the hype. You know what though? It exceeded all of my expectations, in turn providing one of the best fighting experiences I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing in my lifetime of gaming. I’m often guilty of riding high on a video game after I’ve enjoyed it, but everything about Injustice 2 is simply fine-tuned to perfection. The slick and accessible fighting mechanics, the fantastic roster made up of DC super heroes and villains, the addictive customisation options, the multiple game modes that offer something new every day, and the jaw dropping visuals – they all come together to create one of the finest fighting games that has ever been released.
Shadow Warrior 2 is a sequel in the most truest of senses, offering something that feels fresh and new whilst still offering the same top notch action that returning gamers would have been used to. Some might not necessarily like the game’s new direction, but I loved it and would thoroughly recommend Shadow Warrior 2 to both FPS and dungeon crawling fans – you certainly won’t feel shafted by Wang’s latest outing.
Puyo Puyo Tetris amalgamates two classic puzzlers into one enjoyable package, mixing up elements from both games to offer a charmingly addictive experience. It’s a breath of fresh air for gamers who have been used to seeing more of the same from both releases over the years, with each aspect of the game feeling distinctly old-school but also surprisingly refreshing at the same time. It’s nice to see it coming together and working so well – I’d have easily wrote off a mixture of Puyo Puyo and Tetris as an outlandish idea, but it’s surprising how well both games compliment each other. With plenty of games modes, a lengthy single player adventure, and both local and online multiplayer to play through too, Puyo Puyo Tetris offers plenty of enjoyable fun to keep you busy for a long time. Just get ready to lose online… a lot…
I absolutely love Statik. The puzzles are incredibly well designed and satisfying to solve, the premise is eerie and will keep you intrigued throughout, whilst the whole concept of the game utilises both virtual reality and the Dualshock controller in a unique and intuitive way. It really ticks all of the boxes in proving an engagingly entertaining puzzle experience. It loses a few points for the lacking finale and short running time, but the package as a whole is fantastic and one I can’t recommend enough. Statik is simply one of Playstation VR’s must-own titles.
I could tell from the moment I first saw the game that a lot of love has been poured into the creation of Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom, and it really tells in the final product – it’s a thoroughly entertaining adventure that mixes up exciting battling with the exploration of luscious worlds. The combination of combat, platforming, and puzzling will keep you hooked from start to end. It does stutter a little with some balance issues in combat and a story that never grips you in, but the fact that the game is so much fun trumps these issues. It’s a great effort that brings together a multitude of different genres into one fantastic package – here’s hoping we’ll see more from the awe-inspiring world of Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom soon.
Despite the sense of familiarity returning gamers will feel, LEGO City Undercover is still a lot of fun to play. LEGO City is a joy to explore, the story and characters are great, whilst the gameplay still remains a lot of fun. You can always count on LEGO video games to offer a lot of fun and it’s a trend that has continued here; just don’t expect to see anything fresh outside of the open world experience.
Danganronpa 1•2 Reload offers something entirely unique for Playstation 4 gamers, with an experience that mixes up a gripping visual novel narrative with a series of deadly murder investigations. The fact that it’s incredibly well written, features some fantastic artwork, and has a great cast of colourful characters only strengthens its appeal, ensuring that you’ll be entertained throughout all of the forty plus hours the package offers. There’s no doubting that it won’t be for everyone – I’m sure some gamers won’t enjoy all of the reading involved with a visual novel – but those who give it a chance will fall in love with the nefarious escapades of Monokuma and his poor students.
Gamers who want some demon slaying action will have a lot of fun with Toukiden 2, especially with its wide variety of weapons and great showdowns with the gigantic Oni. Tearing their limbs away is incredibly satisfying too, whilst being able to do it all online with friends will ensure you’re kept hooked to the game for a long time. During that long time you’ll begin to notice the flaws of Toukiden 2 though, with things like the lack of variety in gameplay mechanics, the underwhelming visuals, and the fact that progression is limited to simply being more powerful as opposed to feeling like it beginning to creep through. They’re fairly minor issues and won’t stop you having fun, but when all combined together they show the cracks in the game’s otherwise competent button-mashing formula. Still, as a whole Toukiden 2 is a lot of fun and improves on the series in a variety of ways. It’s far from the perfect ‘Monster Hunter’ rival that the game wants to be, but it’s still the best alternative for Playstation gamers.
FATED: The Silent Oath’s blending of a deep narrative with enjoyable yet simple moments of interaction helps the game deliver a thought provoking tale that the player manages to feel a part of throughout. It’s beautiful to look at too, with the game world full of colour and plenty of enticing sights to see. It’s far from perfect with the short length slightly disappointing, whilst the story wraps up in an unsatisfying manner too. There is hope of a follow up though, so hopefully we might see a more thorough conclusion to the Viking family’s tale in the future… These flaws don’t stop FATED: The Silent Oath providing an enjoyable virtual reality experience though, and one I’d recommend to all Playstation VR owners. If you’re looking for an enjoyable title to play through that’ll tug at your heart strings, it’s definitely worth giving FATED: The Silent Oath a look.
Snake Pass offers a charming and intuitive adventure that feels unlike any platformer I’ve ever played before. When slithering through the world as Noodle it really feels like you’re controlling this cute little snake – it has such an unorthodox approach in comparison to your typical platformer, but it ensures that gameplay feels uniquely enjoyable. It’s also incredibly beautiful too, with a luscious vibrant world that’s a pleasure to explore. There are a few frustrating moments along the way though, such as with the awkward camera controls and the fact that the gameplay never diversifies itself too much; I hope you like climbing because you’ll be doing a lot of it in Snake Pass! These flaws don’t stop Snake Pass being a really fun game though and one I can see myself coming back to time and time again in the future. Gotta’ get all those collectibles, right?!
Mass Effect: Andromeda delivered exactly what I hoped it would – an epic sci-fi adventure with fantastic combat mechanics, stunning alien worlds to explore, and a narrative that’s full to the brim with side-quests and sub-plots. However, there’s no denying that it’s severely lacking polish. You’ve just got to look at the character’s faces, animations, occasional framerate drops, and jaunty menus to realise that it might’ve benefited with a bit longer in the oven. Do these flaws make it a broken, terrible game though? Certainly not. The positives of Mass Effect: Andromeda outweigh the negatives and it certainly lives up to the series’ high standards in almost all facets of design. I have no doubt that it’ll probably be one of the most divisive titles released this generation, but for me it certainly delivered on its promise of providing a compelling, action-packed adventure.
At its very core, Everything almost feels like the antithesis of a video game; sure, you’ve got the full freedom to interact with this colossal universe that seems to reinvent itself over and over, but it’s hard to find a purpose to anything that you’re doing. Whilst the lack of a real objective saw the game’s allure wearing thing on me after a few hours, actually seeing this universe and how expansive the interactive freedom offered to the player is was INCREDIBLY impressive and worth the admission price alone. Unless you’re seriously into collecting everything in a video game there won’t be much in Everything that’ll interest you for the long term, but those impressive opening hours alone make it worth checking out. With a fairly low price-point and considering the fact that there’s nothing else out there quite like it, I’d definitely recommend trying Everything just to experience how unique a creation it is.